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You Can Make Movies In Tinapa — Chioma

The founder of the Africa International Movie festival, Chioma Ude, has described the opportunities that Tinapa Resort in Calabar, Cross River State’s capital, offers movie makers as enormous.

On Chennels Television’s breakfast programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’, she said that her experience in the resort had been a brilliant one.
“There is no place in Nigeria like Tinapa. The scenic view is awesome, you can’t ask for better. You can make a lot of movies here. There is a studio and an airport,” Ude said on the Friday edition of the programme.
She stressed that there were investment opportunities in the place. “There is need for more studios and other facilities for movie making,” she said.
Ude spoke to Channels at the 2013 African International Movie Festival holding in Tinapa Resort.
The event is a world class piece that presents a complete immersion into the world of film making with participation from local and international filmmakers and professionals, celebrities, actors, directors, film critics, buyers, distributors, visual artists, film students, amateurs, equipment manufacturers, and international press.
It is organised to raise awareness in Africa about the vast potential the entertainment industry holds and the impact it can generate in the economy.
Chioma Ude, who is the organiser of the festival, stressed that the event had exposed movie makers to what Tinapa had to offer.
The seven days event, which will end on November 16, is the third edition of the Africa International Film Festival.

Tinapa Is Not Dead – Imoke

The Cross River state Governor, Liyel Imoke, on Friday countered claims that Tinapa is inactive.

The Cross River state Governor, Liyel Imoke, on Friday countered claims that Tinapa is inactive
While speaking on Sunrise Daily, the governor said that “Tinapa is not dead as there is significant activity going on within the premises.”
Although Tinapa was built to encourage the film industry and advertising agencies to shoot films and commercials locally, several members of the film community have said they rarely visit or make use of the facilities available there.
Commenting on this, Imoke explained that Tinapa is doing well as the hotel; Water Park and studio enjoy patronage but added that there are some challenges hindering success.
“The Tinapa Lakeside Hotel has an average occupancy of 25%, Ebony Life TV is doing very well in the studio, and the water park is doing well,” he said adding that, the area where the state government is experiencing challenges is in the duty-free management and trade within the zone.
He said that “the regulations and management of free trade zones are issues that are beyond the control of the state government.”
Responding to protests by some traders who had been asked to pay custom duties for goods they were bringing in to Tinapa, from Port Harcourt, the Governor spoke about the barriers which the state discovered could hinder the success of the project, but were beyond its control. Some of them include the airport, which is not an international airport, as well the runway, which needs to be expanded in order to accommodate cargoes.
“For Tinapa to work, you need good road access into Calabar (but) the highways leading to Calabar are in Federal hands. For Tinapa to work you need the Calabar port to work as a free port but it is still not a free port.
For Tinapa to work you need the calabar port to be dredged, it still hasn’t been dredged.
You also need the support of agencies such as customs and immigration.
These issues were not addressed when Tinapa was being constructed.
Tinapa is not a standard regular free trade zone; it is supposed to be a retail free trade zone.
He also said that he has asked the Nigerian Customs Authority to designate Calabar as a port where all goods for Tinapa must come through.

Okorocha, Wamakko, Yuguda, Kalu Shower Cash On Igbo Muslim Converts.

An interesting news in the Leadership Newspapers reports that:

Governor Aliyu Wamakko and his Bauchi State counterpart, Alhaji Isa Yuguda,both gave N5million each to Igbo natives who converted to Islam yesterday. Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and former Governor of Abia State Orji Uzor Kalu gave N2 million and N1million to the converts.

The event took place at the National Mosque in Abuja.
The Chief Imam of the National Mosque, who was represented at the ceremony, announced the cash donation. The converts who were all males within the ages of 25 and 35 years said they accepted Islam because it is a “truthful, peaceful and charitable faith.”

“I was attracted to Islam because of the truth it resonated in me, and I saw the charity of the faith which all its adherents find peace and solace in,” said Ibrahim Ukah, formerly Uchenna Ukah and a younger brother of a fellow convert, Tobechi Ukah, now Abdullahi Ukah.

The commencement of Friday prayers at the mosque was unusually late as the converts were given priority when Islamic rites were administered on them for 30 minutes.

The 18 men from the South-Eastern part of the country were led by the NTA Owerri host of “Islamic calling in Igbo language” Alhaji Muhammad Kabir Orjiegbulam alongside the Board of Trustees, Secretary of the Justice Mamman Nasir Islamic Centre for Peace and Research, Alhaji Ibrahim Biobo Nlomije.

Kaduna Police Arrest Syndicate With Fake 1 Million Naira Currency Notes.

The Kaduna State Police Command said on Friday, that it had arrested a 5-man syndicate that specialised in printing fake local and foreign currencies.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Olufemi Adenaike, while parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Kaduna, said that the suspects were arrested by his men while they were trying to deposit fake 1 million Naira currency notes in 1,000 Naira denominations in one of the banks in the state capital.
Disclosing how his men apprehended the suspects, Mr Adenaike said that the 4 suspects were arrested at Barnawa area of the metropolis with two other members of the gang still at large.
One of the suspects, Ibrahim Suleiman told newsmen that the fake currency was given to him to keep, by a close relation from Kano and he was unaware that what was given to him were fake currencies.
Adenaike who was baffled by the large amount of money involved added that the Police were yet to establish their major marketers and where they print the fake currencies. However, they will be arraigned in court after investigation.
Mr Adenaike also paraded 3 suspected kidnappers, one Abba Ali, Nasiru Abubakar and Mohammed Danlami for allegedly kidnapping and killing a 7 year old boy and another armed robbery gang for unlawful possession of firearms.
He said that the suspected kidnappers conspired, killed and later buried the 7 year old Amir Aliyu, in a shallow grave, after the deceased’s father failed to pay the 1.5 million Naira ransom they demanded.
The Commissioner, while disclosing other arrests made by his men, however warned that the Kaduna State Police Command will not relent in its fight against criminals, and urged the public to always report suspicious movements or characters noticed in their areas to the Police for prompt action.

Okorocha calls for synergy among South-East states.

Governor Rochas Okorocha has urged the states within the south east geo-political zone to embark on developmental projects especially at the boundaries in order to unite the people of the zone. Governor Okorocha who made the call when members of Uga Improvement Union, Uga Anambra State paid him a courtesy call at the state House, Owerri, said that the establishment of developmental projects at the boundaries will go a long way to promote unity within the zone.

He assured them that the construction of the Nkwo AKPULU Road which links to Uga in Anambra state will soon be completed, adding that the essence is to ensure good communication between the people of Imo State and Anambra as well as to enhance their socio-economic activities.

The governor who used the forum to call on the people of Anambra state to vote for Senator Chris Ngige in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra state and assured that senator Ngige would deliver dividend of democracy to the people if elected.

He appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] and security agencies to guide against election malpractice which could hamper free and fair election in the state.

The Chairman of the Uga Improvement union, sir Joseph Ifionu commended the governor for the massive road construction in the state, especially the Nkwo Akpulu / Isiokpo road linking Uga town in Anambra state and called on governors of neighboring states to borrow a leaf from governor Okorocha. He appeals to the state governor to construct the road that links Afor Isiokpo in Imo state to Uga to boost socioeconomic activities between the two states.

Enugu first lady hires Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has asked the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. MD Abubakar, to ensure the immediate release from unlawful detention of Mrs. Clara Chime, the First Lady of Enugu State who is being held hostage at Government House Enugu by Governor Sullivan Chime, or be dragged to court.

In a letter dated November 1, 2013, Mr. Falana, representing Mrs. Chime, pointed out that his client has been kept incommunicado in solitary confinement for over four months on the directives of Governor Chime.

“Thus our client’s fundamental rights to the dignity of her person, personal liberty, fair hearing, private and family life and freedom of movement guaranteed by the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 have been violated without any legal justification,” it said.

“Although our client’s dehumanizing detention conditions have had deleterious effects on her psychological state as well as her mental and physical health she has been denied access to her doctors by her abductors,” the petition said. “It is particularly disturbing to note that some of the police and state security service personnel assigned to secure the safety of the Enugu State governor, his wife and other family members have aided and abetted Mr. Chime in subjecting our client to egregious infringements of her aforesaid fundamental rights.”

It pointed out, however, that unlike the governor who is currently immune from prosecution under the constitution, the police and state security service officials involved in the illegal arrest and detention of Mrs. Chime ought to be sanctioned under the relevant laws.

In a letter exclusively published by SaharaReporters on October 28, Mrs. Chime complained that Governor Chime had placed her under house arrest, and begged human rights bodies to come to her rescue.

She said that eminent personalities such as President and Mrs. Goodluck Jonathan and the Bishop Callistus Onaga of Enugu State and other top priests had attempted to intervene in the matter without success.

Among other things, Mrs. Chime said she had been introduced to two psychiatrists, Dr. Onwukwe and Dr. Agumo, who prescribed “all kinds of drugs that ends up keeping me acute depressed and also drives me into hallucinations.”

Chime is one of the best performing Governors in the South east. Could this be an attempt to smear his name as he wraps up his tenure?

Anambra State University renamed after Ojukwu

Anambra State University in Uli has been renamed after the Late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu in celebration of his 80th posthumous birthday.

The Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, announced the renaming in a live broadcast on the television station of the Anambra Broadcasting Service.

He reiterated the commitment of his administration to restoring standards which demand a simultaneous transformation of all sectors and the recognition of role models.

He urged the people of Anambra State to continue to seek ways of making the state a great one.

Late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was a Nigerian military officer and politician. He served as the Military Governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1966.

He was the leader of the unsuccessful breakaway Republic of Biafra from 1967 to 1970 and a Nigerian politician from 1983 until he died on November 26, 2011, aged 78.